Starmer’s fraught visit to China will tell us what he really thinks of the UK’s place in the world

Does Britain have any leverage over human rights or security concerns or is it a decaying nation that cannot risk trade relations, asks professor of global history Peter Frankopan

City minister accused of ignoring £2bn car finance tax loophole

Critics say banks will be able to avoid tax on compensation payouts to victims of £11bn loans scandal

UK expected to reduce amount of steel it allows in tariff-free

Change being considered amid global glut driven by supplies from China along with a rise in protectionism

Wall Street landlords have met a surprising opponent in Trump. So why is Starmer courting them?

To win votes, Trump can afford to face up to corporate power – to deliver his promised 1.5m homes, Starmer can’t, says writer and researcher Adam Almeida

Nigel Farage’s trip to Davos hosted and paid for by family trust of billionaire

Trust says Reform UK leader was invited to WEF event by London-based venture capitalist as an honorary adviser

Put north of England ‘front and centre’ of net zero strategy, Reeves urged

Region has higher share of net zero economic output, data shows, and Labour leaders fear Reform would dismantle industry if it wins power

Privatisation not the problem for England’s water, says author of review

Architect of government’s water plan says nationalisation might not fix everything and the current system can work

‘I’m picking winners’: UK business secretary takes activist approach to economic growth

AI evangelist Peter Kyle wants to scale up businesses, attract overseas investors and look out for UK’s poorer regions

Gordon Ramsay says tax changes will make restaurants ‘lambs to the slaughter’

Celebrity chef warns UK government’s plans for higher business rates from April ‘simply will not work’

UK government borrowing falls to £11.6bn in December

Official figures better than expected after record-breaking receipts for the month of December

‘Manchesterism’ is building a better politics and a strong economy. The whole country should be inspired

We are the fastest-growing city-region economy in the UK, proof that it is possible to use public funds effectively while reducing crisis spending, says Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester

What happens when the taps run dry? England is about to find out

It’s not just Tunbridge Wells – a country famous around the world for its rain is in danger of self-imposed drought, says Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty

Why is the UK investing in £6.45bn Kraken when it doesn’t need public money?

Given the software company’s size and funding options, British Business Bank’s investment looks like mission creep

World would be a ‘better place’ if US took over Greenland, says Nigel Farage

Reform leader says he agrees ‘strategically’ with Trump but adds that views of Greenlanders must be respected

Keir Starmer to visit China with British business leaders next week, say reports

Prime minister’s reported trip follows approval by UK government for Beijing to build new embassy in London